Chapter 832: Snow Cold and Hard to Soul-Stirring

Donggang Town, five li to the north, the night was pitch black, and a team of more than a hundred people was walking hesitantly in the wind and snow.

More than two hundred cavalry protected dozens of large carts, and each grain cart had a clear-tile wind-proof lantern hanging on the shaft.

The melted yellow light revealed warmth in the snowy night, combined with the reflection of the snow on both sides of the road, making the night road look exceptionally clear.

Because the grain carts were fully loaded and heavy, combined with the night road and wind and snow, the team moved steadily, and the speed was not fast. After leaving Donggang Town for nearly an hour, the carriage team only walked five or six li.

Jia Lian curled his body on the horse, took out the wine pouch he was carrying, and took a sip. A warm breath rose in his abdomen, and his spirit was slightly lifted.

Back then, as the heir of the Rongguo Prefecture, drinking was an elegant matter of sipping and chanting, and he drank fine, soft wine, so his alcohol tolerance was only average.

Since being exiled to Liaodong, because it was difficult to resist the bitter cold of the north, drinking to keep out the cold had become a common occurrence.

He had practiced an alcohol tolerance that was quite considerable, and drinking clear, strong burnt wine had become a daily routine. The elegant young master of the past had added a bit of roughness.

He handed the wine pouch to Guo Zhigui and said, "Zhigui, there is an old temple ten li away from here. Although it is abandoned, the place is not small.

It is just right to be a shelter from the wind. We will stay there tonight.

Let's brothers have a good drink, then cover our heads and sleep well. We will set off at dawn tomorrow, and it won't delay the itinerary."

Guo Zhigui took the wine pouch and took a sip, smiling, "I'll listen to the Bao Er Ye. We'll walk more than ten li tonight, and then continue on our way early tomorrow morning.

As long as we walk twenty or thirty li, the subsequent itinerary will be relatively generous. I estimate we can return to Liaoyang City a day early."

The two were chatting casually when the military horse under Guo Zhigui suddenly snorted, appearing a bit restless.

Guo Zhigui's heart stirred. He gently stroked the horse's neck and listened intently to the wind and snow, as if he had detected a faint and unusual movement...

The military horse under Guo Zhigui was not a treasure horse, but it was a top-grade warhorse, gifted by Liu Yong, a battalion commander before the Yafu Pass.

This horse was no longer young, but it had quite a bit of spirituality, not only recognizing the road but also having very sensitive hearing and vision.

Guo Zhigui raised his hand and shouted, "The carriage team stops to rest!"

In the whistling wind and snow, Guo Zhigui's military order was quickly passed to the end of the team, and dozens of grain carts stopped in order.

With the sound of carriage wheels and horse hooves gone, the world became increasingly quiet, with only the faint whistling of wind and snow.

Guo Zhigui gently stroked the horse's neck and listened sideways to the wind, his expression becoming increasingly cautious.

He dismounted and walked forward a few steps, pushed aside the snow on the road, lay down on the ground to listen to the sound, and his heart jumped like a drum.

Jia Lian's expression was worried, and he asked, "Zhigui brother, is there anything wrong?"

Guo Zhigui said in a deep voice, "I heard the sound of horse hooves, and the momentum is not small. Within ten li, there must be troop movements."

Jia Lian said, "Today is New Year's Eve. All border towns are holding their ground to spend the New Year. Who would mobilize troops at this time?"

Guo Zhigui said, "I am riding an old horse in the army, which has experienced many battles and understands human nature. I just lay on the ground to listen, and I absolutely won't be wrong.

Bao Er Ye is very right. Now there is no war outside the pass, and no border town would mobilize troops on New Year's Eve.

Now that it is not the mobilization of border town troops, then the matter is somewhat unpredictable. Within ten li, the most important military station is the Donggang Town military grain warehouse!"

Guo Zhigui's face changed, and he shouted loudly, "Except for the lead cart, all grain carts extinguish their lights!"

He called two team leaders from the team and said, "One li away from here, there is a mountain hollow with a narrow entrance, easy to defend and hard to attack. We passed by it when we came.

Add horses to the grain carts, quickly bring the carriage team into the mountain hollow, wait there, set up sentry posts along the way, and respond in time if there is any abnormality.

I will take people back to check the movement. I will return within three quarters of an hour. If I haven't returned, you take the grain team and leave quickly!"

The two team leaders took the order, and some cavalry dismounted to add horses to each cart, making the carriage speed up.

In just a moment, the entire grain transport team operated efficiently, appearing well-trained, and the carriage team started rumbling again.

Jia Lian and Guo Zhigui transported grain together. Along the way, the young man's words were easy-going and his attitude was relaxed.

He had never been as stern as he was now, with his sharpness revealed and ready to go, making people feel tight in their hearts.

Worriedly, he asked, "Zhigui, won't something happen?"

Guo Zhigui said, "I hope it's just my overthinking. Bao Er Ye, go with them to the mountain hollow first. Everything is up to me, don't worry."

Saying this, he took two musket soldiers, turned his horse's head, and galloped back along the way. Because he had to move slowly with the grain carts when he came, the horse speed was suppressed to the lowest, but now it was a single horse galloping, and the horse speed soared to the fastest.

Coupled with the empty road at night, the snow along the way had been crushed flat by the carriage team, which was more conducive to riding.

The three people and three horses had only rushed out for more than two li in a moment, and the roaring horse hooves scattered in the wind and snow became increasingly clear.

Guo Zhigui's face was solemn. He didn't continue to move forward, but took two subordinates and walked on the mountain road on the side.

The three people rode their horses straight to the high place, and when they couldn't ride anymore, they tied their horses in the woods and climbed a mountain peak on foot.

Although this mountain peak was not too high, it happened to overlook the surroundings, almost at a glance.

Guo Zhigui looked west and saw that on a remote road close to the mountain wall two li away, a team of cavalry was moving.

The cavalry team stretched for several li, with a magnificent momentum, numbering at least several thousand.

For a cavalry team of this scale to march at night, the whole team should be lit with fire, but they only lit sporadic torches for lighting, looking like flickering ghost fires from afar.

Guo Zhigui had been practicing in the army for several years and knew that they were so cautious in using fire to hide their tracks and reduce the possibility of exposing their whereabouts.

If it were the Great Zhou army, there would be no need to act so sneakily. Guo Zhigui's mood became increasingly heavy.

When the cavalry team bypassed a road intersection, the distance they walked was closer. He saw through the light of the sporadic torches.

He saw that those cavalrymen were wearing leather armor, leather helmets, and many were wrapped in fur, appearing unusually rugged compared to the Zhou army wearing standard uniforms.

Guo Zhigui felt a chill in his heart and almost blurted out: "These are Mongol Tatars. How did they break through the pass and appear here!"

A musket soldier beside him pointed to the south and exclaimed, "Guo Battalion Commander, it seems something happened over there in Donggang Town!"

Guo Zhigui turned his head to look into the distance and saw people moving in Donggang Town, firelight dazzling on the main street, and a building was burning.

Although it was several li away, the burning building was too conspicuous. Guo Zhigui quickly identified it as the Fuyun Restaurant in the town.

Before he and Jia Lian set off, they had bought wine and food in that restaurant, and the military officers of the grain warehouse were feasting in the building tonight...

All kinds of reasons flashed through his heart like lightning. He had already roughly inferred the ins and outs of the matter, although it was a bit unbelievable.

He couldn't wait to look at the location of the military grain warehouse. He found that there were no people moving on the watchtowers on both sides of the camp gate, which meant no one was on duty.

There were many people lying on the ground at the camp gate, and horses were galloping in the barracks, as if there was a fierce battle.

Many cavalrymen rushed into the grain warehouse behind the barracks, holding torches, illuminating the dense grain warehouses in the grain depot.

Guo Zhigui had been to the grain warehouse several times and was naturally very familiar with the control of the grain warehouse. The grain warehouse was closed at night, and torches and open flames were not allowed.

He could already be sure that the military grain warehouse had been raided and occupied at night, and the Mongol cavalry on the mountain road two li away were mostly here to support.

Although he didn't know how the Mongols stole into the pass, the military grain warehouse in Donggang Town was very important and was the transit point for grain and grass for various towns in the Nine Borders.

The grain warehouse stored hundreds of thousands of dan of grain and was the supply hub for various border towns. Once it fell into the hands of the enemy, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Guo Zhigui said in a deep voice, "Return to the grain team immediately. Something big happened in Donggang Town, and we have important things to do!"

A musket soldier pointed to the distance and said, "Guo Battalion Commander, a team of people separated from the grain warehouse and is leaving the town, as if they are coming toward us."

Guo Zhigui looked into the distance and saw that a team of cavalry rushed out of the grain warehouse, numbering two or three hundred, and their actions appeared very swift.

Donggang Town must have had a loophole early on. These people mostly knew the details of our grain team and were coming to snatch the grain.

But it was only a five-li distance. Even if they needed to search for tracks along the way, they would encounter us in half an hour. Return to the grain team immediately to arrange!"

On the road north of Donggang Town, more than two hundred cavalry galloped, their horse hooves stepping on the snow along the road, like flying flowers and cheap jade, revealing a brave spirit.

The leader was a twenty-year-old young man, tall and straight, scholarly in appearance. His name was Sun Yu Xiu, a descendant of the Datong Sun family, and a cousin of Sun Dali.

The Datong Sun family was a hereditary military official family, and most of the descendants were brave and fierce, except for Sun Yu Xiu, who was an outlier and loved reading since he was a child.

He was not only literate and had some insight, but also had a brain and city, and was highly valued by his cousin Sun Zhan-ying.

Back then, Sun Zhan-ying stole out of the border pass and didn't forget to take Sun Yu Xiu with him. This time, he let him follow his cousin Sun Dali to handle this important major event. ===== CHAPTER 833 =====

Back then, when Sun Zhanying stole out of the border pass, he did not forget to take Sun Yu Xiu with him, and this time he let him follow his cousin Sun Dali to handle this crucial and important matter.